Fence footing

Abstract

Assemblies and methods for securing an elongate apertured fence to the ground. The fence includes an upper section which is apertured and which extends upwards from the ground, and a lower section which may or may not be apertured and which is not buried in the ground. The lower section is contacted by a footing member which is secured to the ground and which stabilizes the fence along a desired line along the ground. In some embodiments, the lower fence section is parallel to the ground, and at least part of the footing member lies between the lower fence section and the ground.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An assembly which comprises
 (1) an elongate area of ground; 
 (2) an elongate fence (i) which extends along a line on the elongate area of ground, (ii) no part of which is buried a trench in the ground, and (iii) which comprises
 (a) a first elongate upper fence portion which (i) comprises apertures, and (ii) extends upwards from the ground and does not contact the ground, and 
 (b) a second elongate lower fence portion which is not buried in the ground; 
 
 (3) an elongate footing member (i) at least part of which contacts the second elongate fence portion, (ii) at least a part of which extends along the ground away from the first elongate upper fence portion, and (iii) stabilizes the fence along the line; and 
 (4) securing members which secure the elongate footing member to the ground. 
 
     
     
       2. An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the elongate footing member (i) is separate from the first elongate upper fence portion and from the second elongate lower fence portion and (ii) consists of a single strip at least part of which lies beneath the second fence portion. 
     
     
       3. An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the footing member comprises a felted or other nonwoven material having a thickness of 0.25 to 1 inch. 
     
     
       4. A method of making an assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , the method comprising the steps of
 (A) providing an assembly which comprises (i) the elongate fence and (ii) the elongate footing member at least part of which is in contact with the second elongate lower fence portion; 
 (B) before or after step (A), placing the elongate fence so that the second elongate lower fence portion extends along the line on the elongate area of ground, and the first elongate upper fence portion extends upwards from the ground; and 
 (C) securing the footing member to the ground; and 
 
       wherein the method does not include making a trench in the ground. 
     
     
       5. A method according to  claim 4  wherein the second elongate lower fence portion and the elongate footing member are secured to each other before step (B). 
     
     
       6. A method of making an assembly according to  claim 1 , the assembly comprising
 (1) an elongate area of ground; 
 (2) an elongate fence which extends along a line on the elongate area of ground and which comprises
 (a) a first elongate upper fence portion which (i) comprises apertures, and (ii) extends upwards from the ground, and 
 (b) a second elongate lower fence portion which is not buried in the ground; 
 
 (3) an elongate footing member (i) which is separate from the first elongate upper fence portion and the second elongate lower fence portion (ii) at least part of which contacts the second elongate fence portion, (iii) at least a part of which extends along the ground away from the first elongate upper fence portion, and (iv) stabilizes the fence along the line; the footing member (a) comprising a felted or other nonwoven material having a thickness of 0.08 to 1 inch and a width of 4 to 24 inch, and 
 (4) securing members which secure the elongate footing member to the ground; 
 
       the method comprising the steps of
 (A) providing an assembly which comprises (i) the elongate fence and (ii) the elongate footing member at least a part of which is in contact with the second elongate lower fence portion; 
 (B) before or after step (A), placing the elongate fence so that the second elongate lower fence portion extends along the line on the elongate area of ground, and the first elongate upper fence portion extends upwards from the ground, the first and second elongate fence portions and the elongate footing member being substantially coplanar before step (B); 
 (C) securing the footing member to the ground; 
 
       wherein
 (i) the second elongate lower fence portion and the elongate footing member are secured to each other before step (B), 
 (ii) the first and second elongate fence portions and the elongate footing member are substantially coplanar before step (B), and 
 (iii) the method includes, before or after step (C), the step of 
 (D) changing the angle between the first and second elongate fence portion so that the second elongate upper fence portion extends upwards from the ground. 
 
     
     
       7. A method of making an assembly according to  claim 1 , the assembly comprising
 (1) an elongate area of ground; 
 (2) an elongate fence which extends along a line on the elongate area of ground and which comprises
 (a) a first elongate upper fence portion which (i) comprises apertures, and (ii) extends upwards from the ground, and 
 (b) a second elongate lower fence portion which is not buried in the ground; 
 
 (3) an elongate footing member (i) which is separate from the first elongate upper fence portion and the second elongate lower fence portion (ii) at least part of which contacts the second elongate fence portion, (iii) at least a part of which extends along the ground away from the first elongate upper fence portion, and (iv) stabilizes the fence along the line; and 
 (4) securing members which secure the elongate footing member to the ground; 
 
       the method comprising the steps of
 (A) providing an assembly which comprises (i) the elongate fence and (ii) the elongate footing member at least a part of which is in contact with the second elongate lower fence portion; 
 (B) before or after step (A), placing the elongate fence so that the second elongate lower fence portion extends along the line on the elongate area of ground, and the first elongate upper fence portion extends upwards from the ground, the first and second elongate fence portions and the elongate footing member being substantially coplanar before step (B); 
 (C) securing the footing member to the ground; 
 
       wherein
 (i) the second elongate lower fence portion and the elongate footing member are secured to each other before step (B), 
 (ii) the first and second elongate fence portions and the elongate footing member are substantially coplanar after step (A), 
 (iii) before step (B), the first elongate fence portion is bent at an angle to the second elongate fence portion, and 
 (iii) the method does not include making a trench in the ground. 
 
     
     
       8. A method of making an assembly according to  claim 1 ,
 the method comprising the steps of
 (A) providing an assembly which comprises (i) the elongate fence and (ii) the elongate footing member at least a part of which is in contact with the second elongate lower fence portion; 
 (B) before or after step (A), placing the elongate fence so that the second elongate lower fence portion extends along the line on the elongate area of ground, and the first elongate upper fence portion extends upwards from the ground, the first and second elongate fence portions and the elongate footing member being substantially coplanar before step (B); and 
 (C) securing the footing member to the ground; 
 wherein (i) the steps (A) and (B) are carried out by placing the elongate footing member on the ground and thereafter placing the second elongate lower fence portion on top of the elongate footing member, and (ii) the method does not include making a trench in the ground. 
 
 
     
     
       9. An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein the elongate footing member comprises an apertured material. 
     
     
       10. An assembly which comprises
 (1) an elongate area of ground; 
 (2) an elongate fence which extends along a line on the elongate area of ground and which comprises
 (a) a first elongate upper fence portion which (i) comprises apertures, and (ii) extends upwards from the ground, and 
 (b) a second elongate lower fence portion which is not buried in the ground; 
 
 (3) an elongate footing member (i) which is separate from the first elongate upper fence portion and the second elongate lower fence portion, (ii) at least part of which contacts the second elongate fence portion, (iii) at least a part of which extends along the ground away from the first elongate upper fence portion, and (iv) stabilizes the fence along the line, and 
 (4) securing members which secure the elongate footing member to the ground, 
 
       wherein
 (A) the second elongate lower fence portion is (i) substantially planar, (ii) substantially at right angles to the first elongate upper fence portion and (iii) parallel to the ground, 
 (B) the elongate footing member comprises
 (a) a first lower elongate footing component at least part of which lies between at least part of the second elongate lower fence portion and the ground, and 
 (b) a second upper elongate footing component which lies on top of at least part of the second elongate lower fence portion, and 
 
 (C) the securing members pass through the first and second footing components and the second elongate lower fence portion. 
 
     
     
       11. An assembly according to  claim 10  wherein outer edges of the first and second footing components are joined together, and at least part of the second elongate lower fence portion is sandwiched between the first and second footing components. 
     
     
       12. A method of making an assembly as claimed in  claim 10 , the method comprising the steps of
 (A) providing an assembly which comprises the elongate fence and the elongate footing member at least part of which is in contact with the second elongate lower fence portion; 
 (B) before or after step (A), placing the elongate fence so that the second elongate lower fence portion extends along the line on the elongate area of ground, and the first elongate upper fence portion extends upwards from the ground substantially at right angles to the second elongate lower fence portion; and 
 (C) securing the footing member to the ground. 
 
     
     
       13. A method according to  claim 12  wherein the second elongate lower fence portion and the elongate footing member are secured to each other before step (B). 
     
     
       14. An assembly which comprises
 (1) an elongate area of ground; 
 (2) an elongate fence which extends along a line on the elongate area of ground and which comprises
 (a) a first elongate upper fence portion which (i) comprises apertures, and (ii) extends upwards from the ground, and 
 (b) a second elongate lower fence portion which is not buried in the ground; 
 
 (3) an elongate footing member (i) which is separate from the first elongate upper fence portion and the second elongate lower fence portion, (ii) at least part of which contacts the second elongate fence portion, (iii) at least a part of which extends along the ground away from the first elongate upper fence portion, and (iv) stabilizes the fence along the line, and 
 (4) securing members which secure the elongate footing member to the ground, 
 
       wherein
 (A) the second elongate lower fence portion comprises two elongate parallel components, and 
 (B) a first part of the elongate footing member lies between the two parallel components of the second lower elongate fence portion, and 
 (C1) the second elongate lower fence portion (i) is substantially planar, and (ii) is substantially coplanar with the first elongate upper fence portion, and the second part of the elongate footing member extends generally at right angles to first part of the elongate footing member and to the second lower elongate fence portion in contact with the around, or 
 (C2) the second elongate lower fence portion is substantially planar and extends at right angles to the first elongate upper fence portion, and a second part of the elongate footing member extends generally at right angles to the first upper fence portion in contact with the ground. 
 
     
     
       15. A method of making an assembly as claimed in  claim 14 , the method comprising the steps of
 (A) providing an assembly which comprises the elongate fence and the elongate footing member, the first part of the elongate footing member lying between the two components of the second elongate lower fence portion, and the second part of the elongate footing member extending generally at right angles to the second lower elongate fence portion in contact with the ground; 
 (B) before or after step (A), placing the elongate fence so that the second elongate lower fence portion extends along the line on the elongate area of ground, and the first elongate upper fence portion and the second elongate lower fence portion extend upwards from the ground; and 
 (C) securing the footing member to the ground. 
 
     
     
       16. A method according to  claim 15  wherein the second elongate lower fence portion and the elongate footing member are secured to each other before step (B). 
     
     
       17. An elongate fence which comprises
 (1) a first elongate upper fence portion which comprises open apertures, 
 (2) a second elongate lower fence portion which (i) is substantially planar, and (ii) is secured to the first elongate upper fence portion along an elongate line, and 
 (3) an elongate footing member (i) which is separate from the first elongate upper fence portion and the second elongate lower fence portion, (ii) at least part of which contacts the second elongate fence portion, (iii) at least a part of which extends away from the first elongate upper fence portion, (iv) which stabilizes the fence along the line, and (v) no part of which extends downwards away from the first elongate upper fence portion; 
 
       wherein the footing member is secured to only one face of the second elongate lower fence portion. 
     
     
       18. An elongate fence according to  claim 17  wherein the second elongate lower fence portion is substantially at right angles to the first elongate fence portion. 
     
     
       19. An elongate fence according to  claim 17  wherein the footing member comprises an apertured material. 
     
     
       20. An elongate fence according to  claim 19  wherein the footing member comprises a felted or other nonwoven material having a thickness of 0.08 to 1 inch and a width of 4 to 24 inch.